A Demon Comes to Erin
by ZoologyKaM
Summary: In the old world I was betrayed by the one I served. Demons are the outcast among the races of the Maple world. But now I'm here in this new world of Erin where I am still trapped. This is the story of one girl, a Milletian, who is the bridge between Maple and Mabinogi. Rated T for Language
1. The New World

_Welcome to my first crossover! I play both of these Nexon games and I always get made fun of for it. "Eww Maplestory! It's so 2D!" or "Eww Mabinogi it looks so boring!" Usually I find that the people that say this have never really tried the other game. _

_Well Demon Slayer is my favorite Character in Maplestory, so I thought it would be fun to see how he would survive in Erin! Considering he looks so much like an Incubus. Should be fun!_

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Chapter 1 - In a Strange World

It's been so long since I awoke and found myself inside a cave. I had somehow ended up in an egg which was being used as a power source by a strange machine. The ones stealing my energy call themselves the Black Wings. When I first awoke I used a large amount of my powers, which in my weakened state I no longer had control of.

I was rescued by a man known as J. He is a member of the Resistance that fights the control of the Black Wings. Along my journey I've learned that the Black Wings are actually working to revive that traitorous Black Mage. I hope I'm there to kill him when they do. I hope I am… but I'm still not sure if that will happen.

You see somehow I've been transported into a different world. The monsters are not the disgustingly cute things I fought in the Maple World. The people who would talk to me in this new world said that it is called Erin. Most people wouldn't talk to me though. They'd run screaming or try and attack me even though I say I'm fighting the Black Mage.

Odd… because that usually works. Instead in this new world they've never heard of him. The evil of this world is called Fomor. Many of the humans and elves here believed I was one of these Fomors. Something called an Incubus.

This is the world of Erin where I am trapped. This is the story of one girl, a Millitean, who was the bridge between Maple and Mabinogi.

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_…where am I…? _The Demon Slayer cracked his eyes open and rolled himself onto his side. The cold stone floor felt good on his swollen cheek. Slowly he sat up and looked around. This was not the cave of the Horntail… He had just been there with some Adventurers… and then…. What had happened next? There was a bright light… then… long flowing white hair… a black dress… beyond that he couldn't remember anything.

He looked up at the chandelier on the ceiling. The bright lights were hard on his sensitive eyes but he delt with it and looked around. It was some kind of room. A celler or maybe a dungeon… it wasn't like the dungeon of Sleepywood that's for sure. It couldn't be. It wasn't overrun by those annoying Kargos.

The only thing in the room was a small chest. Chest are usually good right? Isn't that what that one annoying Hero with the cane had said? Getting up, the Demon Slayer walked over to the chest. He tapped the side of it with his mace, curious if it was full or not. It could be some sort of trap. He'd never seen anything like it just sitting around before.

He reached to open it and the accursed thing nearly bit off his hand. DS spread his wings and jumped back away from the box that had now grown teeth. "Vile monster…" He shot himself forward and smashed the box to the side with one swipe. It fell into the coner and laid there montionless.

"That was hardly worth my time." He looked around again. There were two doors. One was blocked by a large door with a keyhole on it. The other lead to another room with yet another chest. "Perhaps if I kill enough of these things I'll find a key."

This time when he opened the box it didn't try to bite him. It just opened like normal but as soon as it did five strange looking creatures popped up. Short creatures, they didn't look particularly bright. They also didn't look friendly as they turned to stare at the Demon Slayer.

"I'm looking for the way out of here."

The creatures just looked at him stupidly. One of them raised its weapon, a small club, and ran to attack. Demon Slayer was too fast for it. He simply dodged out of the way and let loose the power of a Demon's Cry knocking it and all the others to the ground. _These things are as weak as a mushroom…_ he thought to himself.

Going over he examined the bodies of several until he found one that had the key which he relieved from its former owner. It was a large red key. Well that made sense with how big the lock was. The red was odd though, either way it clicked smoothly into place and the large door slid up and open, revealing a very large room; a pile of boulders lay scattered at its center.

This monster he was able to recognize. A Golem is a Golem is a Golem. Doesn't matter what size color or amount of moss growing off them. He entered the room and watched as piles of bones along the edges of the room were reanimated. _Skeletons never did that before…_ He pulled out his weapon and faced the enemy. The door closed behind him.

"Curses… Trapped." There was a closed doorway across the room. _I'll have to hope one of these has a key like before._

One skeleton ran towards him sword in hand. The Demon Slayer used his Demon Lash to easily knock the attacker aside. He felt a sharp pain as an arrow grazed his arm. He let a second shot ricochet off his shield and raced forward slamming into the Skeleton. It crumpled to the floor like the first. _This is almost too easy._ He was forced to amend that statement though when the golem slammed its arm into his side. Another arrow whooshed by while he was fighting off the golem.

Why are the mobs here so far away from each other? Jumping into the air DS summoned the spirits of Dark Metamophisis. _They will keep the golem at a distance for now._ He calmed himself to gather up enough power. Blinding Darkness was not the easiest of skills to control and it often failed to contain the targets. This time it was successful. The golem and the skeleton were frozen in place. Well actually the skeleton simply collapsed into a pile of dust as did the others but either way the attack worked.

He pushed back the golem with a multiple strikes from his Demon Lash. With the monster unable to move the battle was over quickly. As soon as the Golem slammed to the floor, the door at the end of the room opened. The Demon Slayer moved quickly to the next room. He needed to figure out where he was and fighting monsters in every room wasn't going to do that.

In the last room was a statue of a woman with wings. He might have thought she was also of the Demon race but her wings were more feathery. Perhaps she was one of those Adventurers that loved to accessorize. There was a chest in the corner of the room but he really didn't care to fight anything else. There were no other exits to the room.

"Ok well now what?" With no other option he smashed the chest with his mace. It broke open revealing a simple wood club, some sort of scroll, and some gold coins. Examining the coins He saw they looked nothing like Mesos. He couldn't even read the inscriptions on them. That was no reason to not keep them though.

This seemed to be the final room of the dungeon if there was a prize here. _I can assume that was a boss monster in the last room. Considering how much stronger it was than the others._ He still wasn't sure why a golem was considered a 'boss' though. Ready to admit defeat the Demon Slayer leaned back against the base of the statue. Suddenly he could feel his body being transported almost like with a return town scroll. He closed his eyes and let the power take him. When he next opened his eyes he found himself in yet another underground room.

This had the same statue, though slightly taller. The difference in this room though was there were other people in it. The young children got off the floor when they saw him.

"Oh my Godess! Is that an Incubus!"

"No way! What's that doing in Ciar?!"

"Should we fight it?"

"Are you kidding? I'm only level 50! I'm out of here!" The boy ran to the stairs and fled. The girl stayed where she was.

"Excuse me." The Demon Slayer said. "Can you tell me where I am?" Based on her clothing he felt it safe to assume she was an Adventurer, though with that grubby dress she must not be very strong. High level Adventurers were always vain about their looks.

She looked startled when he spoke to her and glanced to the door as if she was thinking of running also. "You're in Ciar dungeon… near Tir Chonail." She began to inch to the door.

"What is this Tir Chonail? Is that a town?" She nodded. "Can you show me the way?" Her eyes bulged open and she shook her head, turned and ran.

"Wait! I'm just… argh stupid noobs… Always over-react to everything." The Demon Slayer followed her up the stairs into the cool air of the evening.


	2. Town Guard

**_A/N: _**_If anyone reads this story and is interested to see it continued faster then please leave a review. I prioritize my stories by how many people care about them._

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**Chapter 2 - Town Guard**

The crisp air felt refreshing. Wolves howled in the distance but the Demon Slayer wasn't really worried about them. Even the wolves from the mountains of El Nath were no match for him. Besides with how weak those other monsters had been he didn't think that staying alive would be his major concern.

No. The biggest challenge would be finding out where he was. It wasn't unusual for the Maple World to suddenly discover a new area of land. It happened rather often. Once he managed to find a ship that would take him to Orbis he wouldn't be opposed to exploring this new land.

"Over here! It's this way." That was the voice of the lv 50 boy.

"Look I'm sure it was just a Militean with those Wings everyone has started wearing. Slow down." This voice he didn't recognize. Perhaps this is a higher level Adventurer who wouldn't run. He leaned back on a nearby boulder as he waited for them to approach. _Might as well have a defensible position if something does go wrong._

"No it wasn't. He didn't even know where Tir Chonail was. Just come and see." That one was the girl.

"Ow. Ok stop pulling. We'll get there…" The kids came into view around a large tree, which they ducked back behind when they saw the Demon Slayer standing out in front of the cave entrance.

"There he is.." They whispered. The owner of the third voice stepped around the tree. He appeared to be in his late teens. He wore a heavy looking set of armor. A strong chin and mischievous smile show even through his unkempt black hair. There is also wisdom and kindness shining in his eyes that goes beyond his years.

The Demon Slayer watched the young man come closer.

"Well you don't look like any Incubus I've seen. Are you Friend or Foe?"

"Neither. I am simply lost. Could you tell me where I am?"

The young man came closer, his hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "You're at Ciar Dungeon, south of Tir Chonail.

"Yes that's what that girl told me. But where is Tir Chonail? How far are we from Orbis?"

"Orbis? Never heard of it. Is that in Iria?"

The Demon Slayer was shocked at these words. Orbis is the center to all major trade routes in Maple. Just how new is this area of land that the locals would not have heard of it? "What is this land called and what else is nearby?"

"This is Uladh. This continant we're on. There's Iria across the sea and the Dominion of Belvast, that's a small island in between. It's all part of the world of Erin. Hey so if you're not an Incubus… mind telling me what you are?"

"Well first, I don't know what an Incubus is, and I'm of the Demon race. Second, do you know how I can get back to Maple World? The Black Mage will be rising before too long and I refuse to be caught here while someone else kills him."

"Woah what? Maple? Like the leaf? You serious? There's a place called that?"

"Yes now if you wouldn't mind… I would like to be rid of this place." The Demon Slayer found himself annoyed with look on the boy's face. The laugh felt to him as if he were being mocked. The youth strolled forward and stood right in front of the Demon Slayer and extended his hand.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. I think we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Josh the Town Guard."

The Demon Slayer just raised his eye brow at the gesture of friendliness. "A pleasure.."

Josh retracted his hand a bit off put but then shook it off and smiled. "So what's your name?"

The Demon Slayer absentmindedly fiddled with his mace, "I've long since forgotten my name. My companions simply call me Demon Slayer."

"Demon Slayer? I thought you said you were a demon…"

"I did."

"Uh… ok… Well then Slayer, I'm sorry to tell you this but I'm not too sure where this Orbis place is." Josh laughed as he noticed the Demon Slayer tense up at these words. "Calm down. I don't know but I know a girl who might. She does a lot more traveling than me."

The Demon Slayer looked skeptically upon the youth. "And where is this girl?"

Josh scratched his head, "Well I did say she does a lot of traveling. Let's head into town and I can send off an owl to find her."

The Demon Slayer stood there thinking for a moment. He looked over at the two children still cowering behind the tree. With a sigh he turned back to Josh and asked, "Will the reactions of the townspeople be anything like that of those children?" Josh turned around to look at the pair.

"Not if I'm with you. I know everyone in town; if I say you're okay they'll probably believe me, as long as we don't mention that you're a demon." Josh turned and started walking up the path expecting the newcomer to follow.

The Demon Slayer stood for a moment thinking what would be best to do. This boy could easily be leading him into a trap. He could be a Black Wing's spy, but he could also be simply a human trying to help. In the end he was forced to acknowledge the fact that standing by this rock would get him no closer to finding Orbis, so he followed.

During the walk into town, the two children warmed up to The Demon Slayer and began asking him an assortment of meaningless and annoying questions. He answered the ones he felt like answering and completely ignored the rest. It really didn't interest him to learn their names were Seikan and Emily. _I don't plan to stay long so there is no reason to force myself to learn names, _he thought to himself.

The group arrived at an inn. Going inside, Josh went up to the counter and tapped on the small bell. A voice called out from a back room, "Be with you in a second." A few moments later, a girl wearing a well-ironed green apron came out, gazing cheerfully at her surroundings. Her bright eyes held an azure blue and a faint smile plays at her lips. "How can I… Oh! Hello Josh. What can I do for you today?"

Josh smiled at his friend, "Hey Nora. Has Kathy been around lately?"

Nora tilted her head to the side thinking. Her eyes wandered to The Demon Slayer standing behind Josh and opened wide for a moment as if she was surprised. The expression vanished a second after it appeared. She shook her head, "I haven't seen Kathy in quite a while. You know her, always off communing with nature."

"Ha yeah," Josh laughed, his smile revealing thoughts of some crazy memory from his past. "Well then can I borrow your owl? I need to get a message to her as quickly as possible."

Nora leaned in close to Josh to whisper, "Is this about that other world?" Her eyes held concern for her friends as she glanced between Josh and the stranger behind him. Josh smiled at her

"I honestly don't know. It could be." Josh laughed as he admitted his ignorance for the situation. Nora couldn't help but smile in return.

"Alright. I'll send out an owl and prepare a room for your friend here."

The Demon Slayer thought about objecting to the title of 'friend' but though it better to not argue with the ones that were trying to help him. That night he allowed himself the first good rest he had gotten in a very long time; in this strange new world it would be safe to assume it would also be the last.


	3. Leaving Tir Chonail

_**A/N: **__I'm not sure who will notice but it seems that my writing style for the story is changing. I'm getting more detail oriented. Personally I think it breaths a new reality into the world of Erin that players don't normally see in it. _

_I would really appreciate hearing what others think of the added details as well as the story itself._

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**Chapter 3 – Flight from Tir Chonail**

The night was cut short by the creak of footsteps. Reaction over Reason, the Demon Slayer raised his weapon and lashed at the intruder. The first attack was a warning; the second would not miss.

"Whoa! Hey! Hold on! It's me!" Josh loudly whispered into the darkness. He had not expected his new friend to be alert at this ungodly hour.

The Demon Slayer was not quick to trust. He held his fearsome mace pointed at Josh's face. "Explain yourself. Why have you entered my room at this time of night?"

Josh stood up and brushed himself off. "Something's happening in the town square and we need to leave. How soon can you be ready?" he asked. Walking over to the window he opened the blinds a crack and looked outside. It was dark except for a street lamp across from the inn. He turned back to the room. It was hard to see but a small glint of light told him that the Slayer was still pointing that weapon at him.

Josh could not see in the dim light but the Demon Slayer had no such problem; a demon's eyesight is much more adept in the dark than a human's. Looking at the boy, The Demon Slayer could see a degree of concern in his eyes; whether it was for the situation at hand or for his own safety at this moment, the Demon Slayer did not know. Slowly the he lowered his weapon. "I have no possessions beyond this mace. We may leave immediately." He pulled his wings in close to avoid knocking into anything and swiftly followed the human out the door.

While Josh tried to explain their sudden departure to a partially awake Nora, the Demon Slayer stood at the door listening; sounds of voices seemed to be getting closer.

"I promise I'll be back, I just can't say when." Josh spoke trying to sound sure of himself, "Send out an owl if you hear anything from Kathy." Nora nodded. Josh grabbed his bag from the floor next to him and turned to the door. The Demon Slayer stepped back to let him exit first. The sounds of their footsteps became swallowed up in the sounds of the night.

Josh led them across a bridge to the outskirts of town. The river trickled gently as it turned the wheel of the town mill. They skirted around the blacksmith's shop, the smith lay stretched out in front of his anvil snoring loudly. The snores blended with the sounds of a nearby flock of sheep. Three guard dogs looked up at the strangers as they passed; one by one they realized the two-leggers were no there to bother their flock and they laid their heads down to go back to sleep.

A crash of shattering glass echoed over the fields. The pair looked back toward the inn.

"Nora can handle herself. Besides no one would mess with her father." Josh said this more to convince himself than anything. "Just a bit further. We'll take the Moon Gate and they won't be able to follow us."

They came up over the crest of a hill and Josh swore under his breath. Up ahead was a stone construction. Two large carved pillars rose up on the sides of a smooth granite platform. A knot of chains wrapped around the tops of the columns, their other ends tied securely to a large grey stone that rested on the platform. The large stone appeared to be made of a different mineral than that of the alter-like structure; between the grey there were shimmers from a deep blue stone. Even from this distance, the Demon Slayer could sense the energy contained within the stone.

"Fuck… I forgot there wasn't a moon tonight." Josh swore as he searched the sky for the red moon Eweca; neither it nor its larger blue counterpart Ladeca could be seen in the stary expanse.

The Demon Slayer reached down to place his hand on the blue-grey stone, as he did so he felt a jolt of energy pass through his body. In shock he pulled his hand away. Slowly he reached his hand out to touch the strange stone, he was ready for the rush of energy but was still amazed by the strengthening of his Demon Fury. It felt similar to his Boundless Rage but this seemed as if it would not end. With power like this the Black Mage would not stand a chance.

"We'll have to head through the forests of Dugald Aisle." Josh slung his bag over his shoulder and took a few steps forward. "We should hurry," he urged. Reluctantly the Demon Slayer removed his hand from the stone. The energy drained away, leaving him feeling weaker by comparison. He tightened his grip on his mace and followed after the human, thinking of ways he could bring the materials of this place back to Maple World to aid in his fight.

They hurried around the edges of an open field, sticking close to the tree line to avoid notice. A pack of wolves darted into the trees as they passed. Light from a campfire glowed from a camp that sat along a path into the woods. Three Adventurers sat with the Fomor Traders, happy with drink; they never noticed the strangers pass by.

They were well into the cover of the wood when they shared the unspoken agreement to slow to a brisk walk. The two men knew they would need their strength for later. They continued down the path for nearly an hour. There was no sign of them being followed; the only movement among the trees came from the occasional raccoon ducking out of its hiding place.

"We should be safe now. It's unlikely we'll run into anyone around here." Josh stared straight forward as he spoke. "As for what happened back there…"

"The town people thought I was that Incubus thing. Correct?"

Josh looked at the Demon Slayer surprised, and then nodded. "Those kids talked to their parents… An Incubus is a type of Fomor. They take a form similar to a human male. They normally stay within the dungeon areas of nearby castles however occasionally they will come out into the castle housing areas. They seduce women then attack and eat them, and they are vicious to any man they see. Only the strongest adventurers can even make it down through the dungeons to where they reside." Josh sighed. "The way they are recognized is from the black wings on their backs and horns on their heads. Many have pale skin and red eyes… very similar to your own."

The Demon Slayer nodded as Josh finished. "So basically I resemble one of these creatures? If that is the case, how do you suggest we go about entering this other town you mentioned? Will they not react in a similar fashion?"

Josh shook his head, his jagged bangs falling in his face, "Dunbarton is the center of trade in Uladh. The fashion styles of the people around there are very…" his face contorted as he struggled to find a nice way to say it, "flamboyant..? It's not uncommon to see formal clothing similar to yours, and false wings are the newest trend. Avoiding notice there isn't the part I'm worried about." He shifted his bag to the other shoulder.

"And the part you are worried about would be?" the Demon Slayer inquired.

"Finding information. The town is very busy and people are always coming and going. Those that live in Dunbarton hardly pay attention to Militeans anymore. There is one guy we can talk to, his name's Stewart. He's a magic teacher; a bit of a bookworm. Heart stops by to get her wands repaired nearly every time she's in town."

Confused, the Demon Slayer asked, "Heart? I thought you were looking for someone named Kathy?"

Josh stopped walking as he realized what he said, "Oh… Sorry. Heart and Kathy are the same person. Her name is Katherine but she is known to most as The Heart of Nature. Heart is a nickname she's picked up over her travels. Sort of like how you probably had a personal name at some point but now you're known as Demon Slayer." The Demon Slayer nodded and they continued walking.

It was another hour before they passed the Dugal Aisle's logging camp, and another two hours before the forest around them started to thin. Both the thinning of the tree cover and the rising of the sun brought new light into the forest. The animal inhabitants of the forest began waking from their calm nights rest bringing with them the noise of the day.


	4. Dunbarton

**Chapter 4 - Dunbarton**

The forest opened up to a large field that stretched out in all directions. Off in the distance, the intimidating stone walls of the city of Dunbarton contrasted with the green of the surrounding grassland. Thin, well-trimmed trees lined the pathway that lead from the forest to the city.

The pair slowed to a casual walk as they mixed into the crowed that was out looking at the wide variety of kiosks that sat along the outer walls. The Demon Slayer was forced to pull his wings in close to his body as he pushed his way through the throng of humans. _Even Henesys is never this busy, _he thought to himself as he skirted around a dual that had broken out. "This place is a mess how do you deal with this…" but when he looked around he realized that he had lost sight of Josh. "Great…" he looked all over the crowed but couldn't see his guide anywhere.

What did catch his eye was a head of long blonde flowing hair, the sharp ears of an elf stuck out between the strands. The Demon Slayer's eyes opened wide, "Mercedes..?" His mind went blank as he reached out for the elf. He grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her around so he could see her face. The poor girl was so startled that she dropped the bag of cooking ingredients she'd been carrying. She stared at him with her bright amber eyes.

The Demon Slayer looked into her eyes and knew this was not the elf queen he had often fought with. He promptly released her and muttered an awkward apology. He left the girl standing there startled and confused while he walked away. He had shocked himself as well; he had been so desperate to see someone from Maple World that he would have even been happy if it were the most annoying elf in existence.

He wondered off to a side street and up some stairs. The crowd was thinner here and was mostly congregated around a large stall; its shelves lined with a surprising number of books. A girl in her late teens with big thick glasses stood talking with some of the shoppers naming off different composition books and discussing the accuracies of famous campfire stories.

Up another set of stairs, the Demon Slayer stopped to watch a lady decked out in shining armor as she yelled out instructions to a group of children practicing using their weapons on training dummies. When doing a demonstration her moves seemed delicate and elegant, unlike a typical swordswoman. Her long silver hair is woven tightly into braids, leaving her unsympathetic eyes fixed on her students. One of the children received a harsh yell when he stopped and stared at the new onlooker. The female Trainer turned to face the Demon Slayer; her face was stern as she looked him over.

"If you're not here to train I'd appreciate you Not distract my charges," she said.

The Demon Slayer smirked at her serious attitude, thinking how she seemed like someone he could get along with, before apologizing, "You'll have to forgive me. I am not from around here. Perhaps you could help me find the one I'm looking for, a man called Stewart?"

The woman raised her eyebrow, "Stewart is the magic teacher for the school, which is the building right behind you. Go through the doors and take the stairs to the right to get to his classroom. If he's not there then try the library which is off to the left." She turned her back on him and barked some commands, startling some of the children. The Demon Slayer gave a polite 'Thanks' and turned to push open the heavy wooden doors of the school.

As he entered the school building, some mage Apprentices paused to gawk at him. Judging from the panicked look on one of their faces, the Demon Slayer felt it safe to assume they believed he was an Incubus. He thought it best to avoid confrontation, since it would be hard to explain their dead bodies; he turned to the stairs on the right and hurried up them.

Josh turned and smiled with relief as the Demon Slayer entered the room, "Glad to see you found your way here. I was a little bit worried when we got separated in the crowd." The Demon Slayer was about to respond when a face popped up only inches away from his own.

"Fascinating! So this is the one you were telling me about? He truly does look like an Incubus, but this energy of his. It's like Mana but yet different in its very core." The strange man adjusted his glasses and circled the Demon Slayer like a cat circling a shiny new toy. "Tell me," he said brining his face right up in front of the Demon Slayer's, "what is this energy of yours called?"

The Demon Slayer was so startled by the man's forth coming attitude that all he could do was answer, "Demon Fury…"

"Oh Wonderful! Fury… yes I do feel an aura of rage emanating from you. Emotions become your strength… fascinating." The man seemed off in his own little world as he pulled a notebook seemingly out of nowhere and began jotting down his observations. The Demon Slayer glanced over at Josh with a questioning look. Josh laughed.

"Hey professor, you can get acquainted later… so about Heart?"

Stewart turned around and pressed his glasses up on his nose. "Oh yes, Katherine." He walked over to a cabinet and slid open a drawer. He pulled out a thick wooden wand, its simple design split into two equal branches at the top, a single feather pinned to one branch; a long strip of leather wrapped around the base creating a smooth and sturdy grip. "She stopped in last week and left her Carpinus with me. When she left it she told me she would go do some shopping while I worked and be back before nightfall, but she never showed." He returned the wand to the drawer.

Josh's brow furrowed. "That's her favorite wand… She would never leave without it."

Stewart nodded, "Yes, I also thought it strange when she didn't stay to watch the repairs. She seemed distracted as we talked."

"Perhaps she knew something was going to happen?" the Demon Slayer suggested. Josh and Stewart looked at him worried by the thought.

"If that were true," Stewart pointed out, "Would she really have left her Healing Wand behind? For a Master of Party Heal magic… it's the greatest tool she has. Especially with all the upgrades she's had done on it."

Josh stared intently at the drawer. "Mind if I take a look at it?"

"Oh, of course." Stewart turned and pulled the wand back out and handed it to Josh.

Josh ran his hands over the smooth finish on the wood. He was no mage but he could feel the care and devotion that his friend had put into the weapon. He turned the wand over in his hands and held the grip out as if it were a sword. He felt the grip in his hand and noticed something odd. The leather was not evenly wrapped, it would be hard to hold onto during a fight with the sloppiness.

"Hey! What are you..!?" Stewart yelled out as Josh began unwrapping the grip. He laid the leather strap out on the table. There were black lines written on the inner side, strange magically burnt lines. They seemed to have a pattern to them, but they made no sense. He stared at them for a moment before being pushed out of the way.

"I have seen this before," the Demon Slayer said as he began coiling the strap around itself, "this was a method of delivering hidden messages among the Heros long ago." He continued coiling the writing. About halfway up Josh's eyes opened wide; there was something written with the burn marks.

"Hang on a sec! Move it like this…" He reached in and matched the lines up

_Mend_…

That was the word written on the strap; Stewart read it aloud, shocked. "Mend what?" The Demon Slayer smirked and glanced up at him; his terrifying ruby eyes filled with excitement.

"Perhaps the rest of the lines reveal more," he suggested and then moved back in to continue wrapping the writing. It was only a minute before it was completed.

_Mend the wall between the worlds._

"Mend the wall… Between the Worlds!? This is it! This proves it. Heart is somehow involved with whatever brought you here." Josh turned excitedly toward the Demon Slayer but saw a deathly serious look on his face. "What?"

The Demon Slayer reached down and pointed at some burn marks that didn't seem to be anything more than squiggles. "This is writing from my world," he explained. "How could she have known there would be someone who could read it? And how does she know it to begin with?" He stared intently at the writing as he spoke.

"What's it say?" Josh asked, leaning over the table to get a better look at the writing.

The Demon Slayer glanced up at him then looked back at the writing. "It's no word from Maple World that I've ever heard of, but it would be pronounced _Renes_."

"The volcano in Iria?" Stewart asked sounding surprised. The Demon Slayer looked up at him.

"You've heard of this?"

Stewart nodded. "Renes is…" He was cut off by a voice from the open doorway.

"Is No place for weaklings like yourselves." The three men turned around to see local swordsman trainer standing at the door. "You would be killed by the monsters there in minutes," she informed them harshly.

"Aranwen… I didn't hear you come in," Stewart said nervously.

"and it's a good thing to. Else I might not have heard enough to put an end to the idea forming in that childish brain of yours." Aranwen looked coldly upon the magic teacher who seemed to shrink from her gaze.

"Idea…?... I don't know what you're t-talking about."

The Demon Slayer watched, amused, as the swordswoman's commanding presence filled the room. "I know that look in your eye," she told him. "A hidden message… a stranger with an unknown type of energy… You can't resist the chance to learn more." Stewart dropped his gaze away from the older woman. Turning to the others she said, "It would cause the Dunbarton School much trouble should our magic instructor get himself killed. Take what information you need then leave. I'll not have you filling his head with any more curiosities."

The three men talked cautiously while Stewart rewound the leather strap around the wand and gave it to Josh, who stowed it in his bag. "I'll return it to Heart as soon as we find her," he promised the depressed professor. Stewart merely nodded. The Town Guard slung his bag over his shoulder and nodded to the Demon Slayer; they headed out the door into the city.


	5. The Second Clue

_**A/N: **The moment I noticed a review on this story I was so excited that I got right to work on this chapter. Unfortunately I didn't finish it till just now but I've been trying to work on it since that day! Reviews make me believe someone cares about the story rather than its just a way to kill time, and since I now have so many ongoing stories I don't work on what gets no reviews.  
_

_So leave a review on what you liked in this chapter(or didn't like) and I'll get back to it soon!_

* * *

**Chapter 5 – The Second Clue**

It was late into the afternoon and the crowd in the main square had thinned out somewhat. Those that were left were shopkeeps, or the occasional person looking for a good deal on an expiring scroll.

"I guess there's not much we can do for now. If we want to get to Renes, we'll need to charter a ship to Iria."

The Demon Slayer rested his mace over his shoulder. "I recall you mentioning this Iria place as a different continent. Exactly how long of a trip is it to get there?

Josh thought about it for a minute. He'd never actually gone to Iria himself but he'd heard plenty of stories from Heart. It's not that long of a trip across the sea, 5 hours at most, from what Heart's told me. The problem is getting around once we're there." He touched his hand to his chin, deep in thought.

"Why? Are there many strong monsters?"

"Huh?" Josh looked up at the Slayer, noting that he seemed excited by the idea of strong monsters. _He's so battle thirsty…_ "Well no. Not in the majority of the land. The problem is the size of the land itself. Iria is a vast continent," he explained, "There are five main sections and each takes a few days to cross, and that's with a horse or eagle."

The Demon Slayer's eyes widened. He could scale the mountains of El Nath, and descend into the depths of Zakum's cave, in a matter of minutes. Surely time could not be so different in this world. Then again… It had taken them the entire night simply to move from one town to the other. _There's no Six-path Crossways here. Of course it would take longer. This is not the Maple World. _The Demon Slayer sighed at the reminder of how far from his world he was.

He felt a hard pat on his shoulder and looked up to see Josh's smiling face.

"Don't let it get you down. We'll see about getting a boat in the morning. For now, I'm starving and I'll bet you haven't eaten in a while either." Josh put his arm around the Demon Slayer's shoulder in a manner far too friendly for the Slayer's liking. Josh laughed as the Demon Slayer took his arm by the sleeve and removed it. "Okay okay, but seriously come on. We'll get some food then head up to the church. They'll give us shelter for the night.

XXX

After a quick meal, and Josh acquainting himself with Glenis, the food shop's owner, the two of them headed up the stairs to the Dunbarton Church. There were only two people in Dunbarton that Josh knew well; the first was Stewart, while the second was the priestess Krystal. He had been there with Heart the day that Krystal had told them of her feelings for the sage Tarlach, and of her existence as one of the dreaded Succubae of Rabbie Dungeon.

Krystal was normally such a kind soul; the thing she feared most was that other Fomors would come to take their revenge for her betrayal. Because of this, the moment she saw the Demon Slayer, she went nuts. It took all of Josh's strength to keep the two of them from duking it out right there (The Demon Slayer had been all too eager to accept the fight that he said "she clearly wants").

"You say he's not an Incubus and yet I can feel the hate coming from his very soul!" Krystal yelled at the top of her lungs. Her arms reached to claw at the Demon Slayer; it was all Josh could do to hold her back.

"I'm telling you Krystal! You've got it all wrong!"

"Why not just let her come at me?" The Demon Slayer said smugly. He stood just out of arms reach with his arms folded in a self-assured, yet well-guarded, posture. "She'll learn soon enough not to trifle with me." His obvious cockiness only served to further infuriate Krystal as she made another lunge at him.

"Shut Up Dude! You are NOT Helping this Situation!" Josh yelled. The Demon Slayer shrugged.

"I don't care what Josh says!" Krystal yelled at the Demon Slayer. "I've seen your type! You would kill your own family if it got you more power! You're a monster!"

"Krystal that's enough!" Josh pushed her back again, gritting his teeth with the effort.

The air around them froze. Krystal noticed it first. All that anger she had felt a minute ago dropped into the pit of her stomach as an overwhelming aura of hate pressed down upon her. Looking up she saw red flames flowing around the body of the Demon Slayer. She had done the one thing he would never forgive; she had blamed him for the death of his family.

An immense wind churned around them as the Demon Slayer's Boundless Rage welled up inside of him. His blood red eyes bore down on Krystal. Her voice failed her and she stepped back nervously. The Demon Slayer moved towards her, but stopped when Josh stepped in between them.

"Out of the way human." Despite his enormous power and obvious anger, the Demon Slayer's voice was calm. He was reluctant to kill the boy but if he did, he certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

"Let's just calm down a second, alright?" Josh forced the calm into his voice, even though he knew if the Slayer was determined there would be no way to stop him. _Not if it's just me at any rate…_ Josh stared into the Demon Slayer's eyes. _There's anger but something else… pain? Sadness? What did Crystal comment? 'You'd kill your own family for more power' _

"I will ask you one last time to step aside."

"And I'll refuse one last time."

A fight between the two seemed imminent. Until, THUNK! the hilt of a fishing pole collided with Josh's forehead, and the human fell to the ground. The randomness of the moment caused the Demon Slayer to lose hold on his Boundless Rage. He turned, with eyebrows raised, to find the source of the flying weapon.

A girl stood not far off covering her mouth with her hands. She rushed forward, issuing apologies for hitting the wrong person. A young girl, maybe 16 years of age. Shining brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun that hung down on the side of her head. The light blue accents on her black robe really brought out the color of her eyes, which seemed to have a playfulness about them.

"I am Sooo Sorry! I meant to hit the incubus, not you." She said as she helped Josh to his feet.

"Hey..." The Demon Slayer reached forward toward the girl but she didn't even hear him and kept talking.

"I was so shocked to see fomor just standing there that I reacted before even thinking it through."

"girl... hey!"

"I mean seriously, what's an incubus even doing in Dunbarton? Ab Neigh and Dugal castles are a days walk away and going that far from," she reached down for her fishing pole, "the safety of their dungeons is..."

"Girl!" The Demon Slayer stomped down hard on the pole, snapping it in half. "For the last time, I am a Demon not an Incubus!" His wings extended to full length and beat the air menacingly. The girl stared at her broken fishing rod. In an instant, came the second time in a single day that someone had gotten in the Slayer's face before he could react.

"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!? THAT WAS MY FAVORITE FISHING POLE!" The bone colored rod, with a sharkfin-like protrusion jutting from the wood above the break, lay sadly on the ground. "I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU ARE! YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO DO THAT! IT TOOK ME MONTHS TO GATHER ALL THE FISH SPECIES TO WIN THAT ROD!"

The Demon Slayer was forced backward by the girl's advances; her sudden reaction had caught him off guard. A relatively frequent occurrence since his arrival in the new world. The girl kept yelling obsceneties at him, backing him all the way up to the stairs. Soon as he felt his retreating foot miss a step and hit air, the Demon Slayer leapt back and gave a mighty heave with his wings, pulling himself safely into the sky above the now shocked elf.

"Crazy elf..." He muttered under his breath. Her attitude was a bit too similar to Mersedes for his liking. The elf queen had also shown a distinct lack of fear of him.

"Whoa... That's cool."

Josh took the break in yelling to step in and talk to the elf while the Demon Slayer hovered above them. "Thanks for your help miss..."

"Fantasia, but call me Fanny." She kept her eyes on the Demon as she answered, "the Seductive leader of the Statuesque Guild," she added with a smile.

"Oh, hey I've heard of you from Heart!"

Fanny turned and surveyed Josh. "You know Kathy?" Josh nodded. "Have you seen her? We've been trying to find her for ages. We won't be able to assist in the Scathach forest purification without her."

"Well actually..."

"We are searching for her as well." The Demon Slayer landed a few feet away from them on the side away from the stairs. Better to have a defendable position, he thought.

"And why would an incubus be looking for our guild healer? Or a Sage at all for that matter, isn't magic a weakness of your fomor defenses?"

"I have no idea for as I have stated previously, I am not an Incubus."

"Now now you two. Let's calm down and talk. We can go into the Church where there is some light and discuss thing. Right Krystal?... Krystal?" The terrified priestess had fled into the church and barred the door. They made their way to Simon's Clothing shop instead.

"ah mi, Fantasja mon sheri. And what have you got for me to repair today hmm?"

"Nothing today, Simon. It alright for us to go up to the work room to talk?"

"But of course. I shall bring some tea up for you and your guests when the shop clears out a bit more." Simon swung around to berate a young boy attempting to pilfer a small seeing kit, while the group headed up the stairs.

Simon came up with a pot of Thyme Tea, a half an hour later. Fanny stared at her cup without drinking any as her mind tried to absorb the fact that her friend was involved in some mysterious power struggle with another world.

Simon shook his head when Josh finished the summery of events since the DemonSlayers arrival. "Tsk tsk, Zat is most unfortunate to hear that sherri Katzerine is missing. She always took such good care of her Adonis dress. Most unfortunate, indeed."

"She always talked about another world but I never imagined it was anything like this. I thought it was just her imagination," Fanny said with shock evident in her voice."

The Demon Slayer leaned against the wall next to the door. "Well I assure you, the Maple world is quite real." Fanny shook her head.

"But it makes no sense! What would whoever brought you here be trying to gain by capturing her? I mean sure she was a Great Sage but she's not nearly the most powerful out there. What could they gain?"

"I've been thinking about that." Josh glanced to the Demon Slayer. "What if whoever took Heart doesnt know that you're here?"

"I don't follow..."

"Well, back in Tir Chonail you mentioned being in your world one moment then the next thing you could remember was a white room and a black dress. What if that was Nao?"

"But Nao only appears to Militeans." Fanny reminded him.

"But before that she appears to Souls lost in the Adelia Stream. If his soul somehow was drawn out of his world it could have found its way to her, then she would bring him here."

"I guess that's possible..."

whith the knowledge we currently possess, anything is possible. I would only wonder who it was that pulled my soul from Maple world. Was it your friend or someone else?"

Josh shrugged. "We won't know until we find her."

"You mentioned you found a message that said Renes. Can you show me?"Josh pulled out the wand, unwrapped the leather then rewound it like before. Fanny examined the message; the Demon Slayer pointed to where it said Renes in his language. Fan nodded. Well I'll see who I can gather in the guild to gather information on Kathy. Maybe if we can figure out what happened before she disapeared we can figure out who's behind this mess."

"Oui, Zis is a lovely plan, did I mention young Katzerine came to my shop ze day you claim she vanished?"

Fanny rolled her eyes, "why didn't you mention this sooner?"

"And interupt zis thrilling tale? Not likely." Simon smiled the bustled out of the room. He returned a moment later with a Broad-brimmed Feather Hat. "Zis is what she left wis me. It has ze most marvolous Mana-usage reduction sewn into each stitch she always watched when I repaired it. So afraid my hand vould slip." Simon shrugged his shoulders and placed a hand worriedly on his cheek. "But zen zis last time she said she has to drop somezing off wiz monsuer Steward. 'twas very peculiar, No?"

"and after that she never came back?" Simon shook his head. While the others discussed possible reasons for Heart's sudden abandonment of her most prized items, the Demon Slayer stared long and hard at the white hat.

"Is this hat changing colors?"

Simon's face brightened considerably, "You, sir, have a good eye. In fact zis is one of my favorite examples of a magical dye job. Note the very subtle shift from pure white to a shining silver. Absolutely marvilous!"

"and this dye covers the entire hat?"

"But of course only the poorest of tailors would have any item partially dyed."

"So then why is this area not flashing?"

"What?!" Simon, Josh and Fanny leaned in. Sure enough there was a 3 inch strip along the brim that remained a pale off white. Josh jumped to his feet and turned out the lights. As their eyes adjusted a glow came from the small strip, _Siren_.


	6. The Goddesses

**Chapter 6 – The Goddesses**

"Hurry! I think she went this way!"

Footsteps crashed in the darkness of the forest. Dark purple hair whipped around, as a girl ran at full speed. Her white and light purple Adonis dress was ragged and torn beyond recognition. Scrapes and bruises covered her exposed arms, her dark tan doing nothing to conceal them in the full light of Ladeca. She swore as her bare feet slipped in the mud. She pushed herself up, ignoring the filth, and continued running.

"The potion won't last much longer! I have to hurry! GAH!" It felt like a bomb went off in her chest, and she crashed to the ground. "Damit!… Not again." The power in her throbbed, searching for release. It was as if something was squeezing her living heart. "Have to… get… away." Clutching her chest she forced herself onward.

Another throb burst from her chest. The Mana was out of control. _If I can't release it soon… _

"Now really. Why can't you just give up and give us what we need?"

The girl froze and looked up at the voice. A man stood high above her on a cliff, the moonlight shining on his back. The man adjusted his glasses and looked down his nose at her. His dark coat flapped in the wind. Casually he stuck his hands in his pockets, while the moonlight glinted menacingly off of a well-polished Alchemist's cylinder secured tightly on his left arm.

"Go to hell!"

The man laughed. "This world already is hell. You Milletians cannot see it for how it truly is, but I can." The girl glared up at him, but this only seemed to further his amusement. He adjusted his glasses again and a glare passed over them, momentarily hiding his eyes from view. "So stubborn." In a flash he pulled his left arm from his pocket and a Water Burst exploded on the ground inches from the girl. She stepped back covering her face. The man's voice was condesending, "You can't win and you can't escape. Just give up and you can die knowing your soul helped save this world."

"JARLATH! You Don't Understand! That world is not AHH!" An orb of condensed air slammed into the girl's side. With bone crunching sound, she was slammed into a tree and crumpled to the ground. She fought the blackening of her vision. From the pain in her side she knew there must be at least two broken ribs. Her right arm wouldn't respond either; something was seriously wrong if she couldn't even feel the dislocation of her shoulder. Fluid filled her lungs and she coughed up blood.

The feet of her attacker moved into her field of vision. Her purple eyes tried to look up at his face.

"I'm surprised you're still conscious after that." This was a different voice, but her vision was fading and she couldn't focus enough to remember if she'd heard it before. "No matter, you won't be running any more. Even a master of healing like yourself would be hard pressed to fix you now."

Sliding rocks and a cloud of dust, the first man had rushed down the rock face. "What are you doing!? We need her alive!"

"Open your eyes fool. The Mana is already attending to her wounds, or are you so blind you can't see that blue glow?"

"That's No Excuse! Without her we'll never find where she hid the key to that other world."

"There can't be many she would trust it with. Human, Elf, Giant, or Milletian, no one can hide from us."

"Yes well let's not destroy the world just yet shall we? Not with the next phase of the plan about to begin."

The first man scoffed. "Suit yourself then." He walked away when the first man turned the girl over to begin the healing. A practiced hand slid a knife through strings of her corset, pulling it off to survey the damage. Kathy blacked out before he could even begin to treat her wounds.

XXX

_"There's not much time left. Hurry to Emain Macha and stop them from reviving the sealed goddess. Unless you succeed, both Erin and Maple will be in grave danger."_

The Demon Slayer woke slowly, on the fringes of that dream. Was it even a dream? That girl in the black dress. He had seen her before. His red eyes shot open as memory flooded back to him. That was the girl that had brought him to this world! What was it the human had called her? Nao?

"Huh wha? Wuz gon on?" Josh sat up groggily, having been shaken awake not a minute later. "Slayer? Gawd what time is it…"

"That girl you spoke of, the one who commands the soul stream, I believe I saw her in a dream."

"Awh hell… it was a dream..? Go back to sleep." Josh began to roll over in his cot but fell to the floor with a yell when the Demon Slayer flipped the mattress and dumped him to the floor.

"Obnoxious child. Do you really think I would bother making a ruckus if it were merely a dream?" He slammed the cot to the ground. "I know a vision when I see one!"

Josh crawled up, resting his head on the top of the mattress. "A vision… really… of what?" His tone was far from eager, not really appreciating being dumped from his bed in the middle of the night by a demon from another world, whom could easily kill him.

The Demon Slayer scowled and rolled his eyes, "That girl you said brings souls to this world, Nao, I think you said."

"Wah… Nao sent you a vision? Of what?"

"She said, 'to go to some place called Emain Macha. To prevent the revival of some goddess."

"WHAT!" That woke him up. The boy bolted to his feet and slammed his head on the low slanting ceiling of the attic above Simon's shop. He swore loudly and a small tear of pain leaked from his eye; he pressed his hand down on the forming lump. "You telling me someone is trying to revive the Goddess of Destruction?"

"Clearly I have no idea who you're talking about, but if that is the Goddess that is sealed in Emain Macha, then you are probably right."

"But that makes no sense. Macha was destroyed centuries ago. How could she be sealed there?" Seeing the Demon Slayers confused look, Josh sat down on the edge of the cot and grabbed his bag, digging through it. He pulled out a map and spread it out on the bed for the Demon Slayer to see. "We're here in Dunbarton. This over here is Emain. It used to be controlled by a powerful Lord, but circumstances revealed that he was being controlled by someone who wanted to seize control of all of Ulahd. Since Erras was brought down by the Knight of Light, the power of the city has fallen."

"So this goddess was sealed by this Eras?"

"No," Josh shook his head, "Eras was just trying to create a dangerous golem, but even Tabahartus is weak when compared with the might of the three Goddesses." He paused as the Demon Slayer walked over and grabbed a small chair from the other side of the room.

Pulling it around, the Demon Slayer sat across it resting his arms and chin on the back, he knew the start of a long story when he heard one. _Know thine enemies._ Getting comfortable, he flapped his wings then tucked them into his sides. A nod of his head let Josh know to continue.

"The three sisters, Morrighan the Goddess of War, Macha the Goddess of Destruction, and Neamhain the Goddess of Light, each have played their own role in shaping the history of our world.

"Morrighan, the eldest, is the creator of the soul stream. She gave name to the race of beings, which I'm one of, called Milletians, meaning descended from the stars. During one of the great battles of the past, she used up all of her strength to seal the dungeons, where the Fomors dwell, away from this world. But at a cost, for she was sealed in stone. A few years ago, a Milletian fought against the Dark Lord Morgant to free her from her prison. Her current whereabouts are unknown."

"Next is Macha, the fallen one. She gave up her position as a goddess for the love of a mortal, but the man betrayed her and she cursed the world. Legend says she threw herself into one of the lakes surrounding Emain, and the land suffered from drought and famine for many years."

"The last is Neamhain, also called the Great Irinid, the creator of Iria. She wished to create a true paradise, the Tir Na Nog of legend. She created the races of Elves, Giants and Dragons. But this perfect land was never to be, for the Dragons became greedy and tried to destroy the other two races. The elves and giants fought together and won, but even they were not above greed, and a second war broke out. Irinid cursed the land, and the races she created. She promised to one day return ad restore the continent to the paradise it was meant to be."

The Demon Slayer sat pensive; these stories sounded so familiar it made him sick. _That was the exact promise the Black Mage gave… to make a paradise. But it was always about power._ "So two goddesses exist in this world now?"

"Well that's the thing… no one really knows. Many believe they reside in Falias, the realm of the gods, but each is so tied to a part of this world, that some believe they can never truly leave this world. Of course," Josh flopped backwards onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling, "anyone that goes out in search of any one of the goddesses, never returns." _Heart…_

"So the one they are trying to revive is Macha. For what purpose? The way it sounds, she is the weakest of the three."

Josh nodded. "Not only that but she's believed to be dead. Though I guess some do think she hid herself by taking the form of a… SIREN! THAT'S IT!" Josh jumped to his feet and once again smashed his head into the ceiling. Tears leaked from his eyes but his excitement wasn't diminished in the slightest. "Heart's message, the Siren of Rundal dungeon. Is Macha! Somehow Heart must have discovered that!"

"And this was why she was taken?"

"It's gotta be!"

The Demon Slayer shook his head, not entirely convinced of this motive. "Assuming that it is," he spoke firmly, pulling Josh back to reality, "It is a safe bet that the enemy has also gotten this information, by one means or another." Josh's face fell at the implication. "I feel it would be in our best interests to head to this Emain Macha and find this siren. Even if we're wrong, we can gather more information."

"Right…" Josh nodded.

"We should leave first thing in the morning."

"Right, right." Josh went to the door. "I've got some stuff to check out first, I'll be back to wake you and Fantasia at sunrise, in a few hours. We'll go before the Moon gate closes." The Demon Slayer nodded his consent then went back to the corner of the room where he had been resting, though he hardly expected to sleep now. Josh rushed from the shop and into the early morning air.

The Demon Slayer lay on his cot starinup at the dusty ceiling. _Was she really taken for something this simple? If so... How does the Maple world come into play? And why am I here?_

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_**A/N:**__ Hey guys! I know that hardly anyone actually reads this story but if those of you that do read it could leave a review on chapters that would be awesome! _

_I want to know what people think of the characters and the story line. Maybe who you think might be the bad guys. Stuff like that, it would be a real encouragement. I've been kind of down lately and had so much writers block this whole first week of school. Adjusting to my new collage is tough. _


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